Method of making hollow metal doors



NOV. 2, 1954 c, MYER METHOD OF MAKING HOLLOW METAL DOORS Original FiledMarch 19, 194'? 3 Sheets-Sheet l ChiprleS 0. M yer (Ittomeg NOV. 2, 1954MYER METHOD OF MAKING HOLLOW METAL DOORS 3 Sheets-SheetLZ Original FiledMarch 19, 1947 r O f n e D n 3 Charles 0. M yer WM ttomegs Nov. 2, 1954c. o. MYER METHOD OF MAKING HOLLOW METAL DOORS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 OriginalFiled March 19. 1947 V Bnventor ClzwrlesaMyer M Ittom egs 2,593,027Patented Nov. 2, 1954 Mnrrron or MAKING uoLLow METAL noons Charles 0.Myer, Warren, Ohio, assignor to Mullins Manufacturing Corporation,Salem, Ohio, :1 corporation of New York Original application March 19,1947, Serial No. 735,603. Divided and this application November 1, 1950,Serial No. 193,354

2 Claims. 01. 29-446) The invention relates to sheet metal drawer headand door construction, and more particularly to the construction of astiff, rigid, double-panel, sound-deadened drawer head or door formed oflight gauge sheet metal; and this application is a division of myco-pending application, Serial No. 735,603, filed March 19, 1947, forSheet Metal Drawer Head Construction, now Patent No. 2,556,099.

Present day kitchens are equipped with base cabinets, wall cabinets andundersink cabinets. The wall cabinets ordinarily are provided with oneor more doors and the base and undersink cabinets may be provided withdoors or drawers or both. Large numbers of such cabinets are made oflight gauge sheet metal, usually sheet steel, and the drawer heads anddoors are fabricated to have a box-like double panel constructionprovided with a flush outer panel wall, an inner panel wall, and narrowtop, bottom and edge walls.

The cabinets and their drawers and doors are provided with paintedsurfaces, usually but not necessarily white; and handles ordinarily aresecured to each drawer head and door.

The box-like drawer head or door structure should be stiff and rigid sothat the structure and the outer and inner panel walls thereof will notflex, warp, weave, twist, spring or bow convexly or concavely in useupon normally opening or closing the drawer or door or upon pulling orpushing a handle secured thereto even though the drawer or door is madeof light gauge sheet metal. Further, the outer surface of the doorshould be free of weld marks, bolt heads, rivets, etc., so as to presentan attractive appearance.

Ordinarily, such drawer heads or doors are fabricated of two sheet steelmembers with edge flanges telescoped one within another so that the top,bottom and edge walls of the box-like structure are formed of doublethickness metal. However, the inner and outer panel walls of thebox-like structure each comprise only a single thickness of metal ofconsiderable area. The two members may be assembled by bent tongues, butthey are ordinarily welded to provide a more rigid structure.

Such a box-like structure by its very construction, which includes thinsingle metal thickness panel walls, is drum-like and produces a sharp,high-pitched metallic sound when struck, which is objectionable.

Considerable difliculty has been experienced in the art in attempts tofind a satisfactory solution to the problem and to provide a stiff andrigid, sound-deadened lrght gauge sheet metal drawer head or doorstructure. Many types and kinds of sound deadening material have beenused. The cavity or a portion thereof between the inner and outer panelshas been filled with sound deadening material such as pressed pulpinsulation board or corrugated paper pads; or one or both inner panelsurfaces has been coated with mastic asphalt. However, such sounddeadening means, while more or less satisfactory for sound deadeningpurposes, do not aid in providing a more rigid structure and create newdifliculties in assembling or painting operations.

Thus, asphalt material containing solvents, unless dry, within abox-like structure when being welded for assembly gives off gases whichmay explode from the heat of welding.

However, it is impractical under production methods to use a long dryingstep in the production line assembly of cabinet doors and the like fordrying inner asphalt coated surfaces of a metal box-like structure.

Moreover, the surfaces of a completely assembled metal door or drawerstructure must be cleaned or otherwise prepared for painting as a finalstep immediately preceding painting, preferably by dipping in variouskinds of liquid cleaning or treating baths. Paper, pulp board and thelike contained within a box-like metallic structure will absorb theliquid of the treating bath. It is practically impossible to completelydry paper or pulp board within an assembled box-like metal structure andto rid the same of the last remnants of the liquid cleaning reagentwhich may be acid. The presence of even small quantities of the cleaningor treating liquid within the paper, pulp board and the like may preventa complete bake-out of the paint film.

Various types and kinds of metal spacer clips also have been providedbetween the inner panel surfaces of boxlike drawer head and doorstructures but such means have usually been secured to at least one ofthe panel members by spot welding which mars the appearance of thefinished article unless extensive metal surface finishing operations arecarried out. These metal finishing operations are so costly that theyare not feasible in the commercial production of sheet metal cabinets.Moreover, such metal clip means function only as spacer members and donot increase the stiffness and rigidity of the box-like structure to anysubstantial degree, and do not aid in sound deadening.

In other words, all prior art constructions are subject to or introduceone or more difliculties and do not provide the desired stiffness,rigidity and sound deadening characteristics in the construction oflight gauge box-like drawer head and door structures. Apparently, therehas been no satisfactory solution to the problems presented prior to thepresent invention.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to improvethe construction of light gauge sheet metal drawer head and doorstructures.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a newbox-like double panel light gauge sheet metal drawer head or doorstructure which has such rigidity and stiifness that it will not flex,warp, weave, twist, spring or how in normal use, without the use of anymetal clips or spacer members inserted between or secured to the inneror outer panel members of the structure.

Also, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new box-likedouble panel light gauge sheet metal drawer head or door structurehaving sound deadening means which has excellent sound deadeningcharacteristics without creating difliculties due to the presence of thesound deadening means in assembling the structure by welding or in thesubsequent cleaning and painting of the assembled structure.

Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a newstiff, rigid, sound-deadened drawer head or door structure which may befabricated in accordance with production methods at a minimum cost.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a newbox-like double panel light gauge sheet metal drawer head or doorstructure in which a substantial portion of the panel area of the innerpanel is held in pressure abutting relation against the outer panel withsound deadening material means compressed therebetween so as to providea stiff and rigid assembled structure in which the compressed sounddeadening material cannot absorb liquid reagents used in cleaning ortreating the surfaces of the assembled structure in preparation forpainting.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a newbox-like double panel light gauge sheet metal drawer head and doorconstruction for kitchen wall, base and undersink cabinets and the likewhich avoids prior art difficulties, satisfactorily solves problemsexisting in the art, and incorporates the foregoing advantages anddesiderata in a simple, effective and inexpensive manner.

These and other objects and advantages apparent to those skilled in theart from the following description and claims, may be obtained, thestated results achieved, and the described difliculties overcome, by thedevices, constructions, arrangements, combinations, subcombinations,parts, elements, methods, steps, operations, and procedures whichcomprise the present invention, the nature of which are set Iorth in thefollowing general statement, preferred embodiments of which-illustrativeof the best modes in which applicant has contemplated applying theprinciplesare set forth in the following description and shown in thedrawings, and which are particuiarly and distinctly pointed out and setforth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

The nature of the improvements in sheet metal drawer head and doorconstruction may be stated in general terms as preferably including abox-like, double panel, light gauge, sheet metal drawer head or doorstructure having an outer panel member and an inner panel member; theouter panel member comprising a flat rectangular panel wall terminatingat its edges in inturned top, bottom, and edge wall flanges; the innerpanel member comprising a rectangular panel wall terminating at itsedges in outturned top, bottom and edge wall flanges telescoped withinthe outer panel member top, bottom and edge wall flanges, said innerpanel wall having formed therein a deep drawn outwardly recessed panelportion comprising a major portion of the width and height of the innerpanel wall; said recessed panel portion having a depth such that whenthe inner and outer panel members are telescopically assembled, therecessed panel portion is located closely adjacent said outer panel wallwith slight clearance space therebetween; a sheet of compressible,waterproofed, waflled or felted paper sound insulation materialinterposed and compressed between said recessed panel portion and saidouter panel wall; said sound insulation material sheet in uncompressednormal condition having a thickness greater than that of said slightclearance space; and means joining said inner and outer panel memberstogether, holding said recessed panel portion and said outer panel wallin pressure abutting relation and holding said sound insulation materialsheet compressed therebetween.

The nature of the improvements in methods of making rigid, soundinsulated, box-like, double panel, light gauge sheet metal drawer heador door structures may be stated in general terms as preferablyincluding forming a flanged outer panel member, forming a flanged innerpanel member, drawing a recessed panel portion in the inner panelmember, applying and preferably cementing a sheet of compressible,waterproofed, waflied or felted paper sound insulation material to theentire inner area of said recessed panel portion, telescoping theflanges of said outer panel member with respect to the flanges of theinner panel member, pressing the outer panel member against the recessedpanel portion of the inner panel member to compress the sound insulationmaterial sheet therebetween; and, while maintaining said members pressedtogether, rigidly securing said panel members together, as by welding,to hold the outer panel member in pressure abutting relation against therecessed panel portion of said inner panel member with said soundinsulation material sheet compressed there between.

By Way of example, preferred embodiments of, and methods of making, theimproved sheet metal drawer head and door structures are illustrated inthe accompanying drawings forming part hereof wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a base cabinet having a drawer anddoors each provided with the improved construction;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the drawer head of the drawer of thecabinet illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the drawer illustrared in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section looking in the direction of the rro s 4--Fig. 3:

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the inner panel member ofthe drawer head of Fig. 2 placed on an assembly table with adhesivematerial applied to the inner surface of the recessed panel portionthereof and with a sheet of sound insulation material cemented thereto;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing an outer panel member in theprocess of assemblv therewith:

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figs. 5 and 6 illustrating the outer panelmember of the improved drawer head construction com letely assembledwith the inner panel member and held in pressure abutting rela ion tocornpress the sound insulation material sheet while the panel membersare being secured together, as by welding;

Fig. 8 a transverse section through the outer panel member illustratedin Fig. 7;

Fig.9 is a transverse section through the sheet of sound insulationmaterial illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 is a transverse section through the inner panel memberillustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig. 11 is a transverse section through the assembled drawer headstructure comprised of the parts illustrated in F gs. 8, 9 and 10;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a wall cabinet having doors eachprovided with the improved construcion;

Fig. 13 is a vertical section of a door of a base cabinet, looiking inthe direction of the arrows 13-13, Fig. 1; an

Fig. 14 is a similar sectional view of a door of a wall i abmf, lookingin the direction of the arrows 14-14,

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figuresof the drawings.

A kitchen cabinet is indicated generally at 1 in Fig. 1 hav ng a cabinetportion 2, a top portion 3, a drawer indicated generally at 4, and doorsindicated generally at 5. Referring to Figs. 1 through 11, the drawer 4is provided with a drawer head 6 of the improved construction to which adrawer body 7 is secured in any usual manner. The drawer head 6 iscomposed of an outer panel member 8, an inner panel member 9, and ahandle 10. The outer and inner panel members may each be formed of lightgauge sheet metal such as 24 to 22 gauge sheet steel.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 8, the outer panel member 8 s formed with aflat rectangular panel wall 11 terminating at its edges in inturnedflanges 12, the upper flange 12 ireferably terminating in a downturnedflange 13 (Fig.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 10, the inner panel member 9 is formed witha panel wall 14 which is formed throughout the major portion of itsheight and width with a recessed preferably rectangular panel portion15; and inner panel wall 14 terminates at its edges in outturned flanges16.

The panel wall 14 is preferably embossed at 17 to receive the downturnedflange 13 of the outer panel member 8 when the flanges 16 of the innerpanel memher 9 are telescoped within the flanges 12 of the outer panelmember 8.

The members 8 and 9 are assembled and maintained in rigid assembledcondition by the cooperative engagement of the flange 13 and embossedportion 17, and by tack welding the lower inner corners of the flanges12 of the outer panel member 8 to the lower inner corners of the innerpanel member 9, as indicated at 1 8 in Figs. 4 and 7. The telescopedflanges 12 and 16, when assembled, form the top, bottom, and side edgewalls of the hollow sheet metal drawer head panel strucrare 6, and theseedge walls hold the panel walls 11 and 14 in spaced apart relation, asshown. Likewise, when assembled, the recessed panel portion 15 formed inthe inner panel wall 14 is located substantially at the same depth asthe depth of the top, bottom, and side edge walls formed by the flanges12 and 16, except for the sliglt t ciegaranice tspace tiroviclleillbetween the panel por ion an on or ane wal as shown 8, i0, 11, 13, andii m Figs Referring to Figs. 4, S, 6, 9 and 11, a sheet of compressible,waterproofed, waffled or felted paper sound insulation material 19 isinterposed and compressed between the outer panel wall 11 of the outerpanel member 8 and the recessed portion 15 of the inner panel member 9.The sound insulation sheet 19, being formed of Waffled or felted paper.is compressible and its normal thickness is illustrated in Fig. 9,whereas when held under pressure and compressed between the inner andouter panel members. its thickness is reduced to substantially thatshown at 20 in Figs. 4 and 11.

The handle 10 may be secured to the drawer head 6 bydscrews1 21 pasiingtllirou zh outer panel wall 11. the soun insuation s eet 9, the recessedane 15. and the handle 10. p I pomcn Tn assembling the improved drawerhead construction, an inner panel member 9 is placed on a pedestal 22 ofan assembly table 23 with its inside surface accessible. Spots ofadhesive material 24 are applied to the inner surface of the recessedpanel portion 15 as illustrated in Fig. 5. A preferably rectangularsheet of compressible, waterproofed, waflled or felted paper soundinsulation material 19 is applied to said inner surface of the recessedpanel portion 15, and is held thereon by the adhesive cement 24. Thesound insulation material sheet 19 covers substantially the entire innerarea of the recessed panel portion as illustrated in Fig. 5.

An outer panel member 8 is then assembled to the inner panel member 9 bytelescoping the flanges 12 of the outer panel member over the flanges inof the inner panel member as shown in Fig. 6. In performing thisoperation, the flange 13 of the outer panel member 8 is engaged in theembossed portion 17 of the inner panel member 9 to lock these edges ofthe members 8 and 9 together. The edges of the two panel members 8 and 9opposite the locked edge l.3ll7 are then forced under a height gage bar25 on a work table 25a with the outer panel member 8 face down on thework table surface. This holds the sound insulation material compressedwith the outer panel wall 11 maintained in pressure abutting relationwith respect to the recessed panel portion 15, while the inner cornersof the flanges of the inner and outer panel members are welded together,as by tack welding, illustrated at 18 in Fig. 7. Thus, no Weld marksshow on the outer surface of the outer panel member, and no bolt headsor rivets are used or appear on the outer panel surface to mar itsappearance.

The drawer head 6 may then have the drawer body 7 assembled thereto inany usual manner; after which the completed drawer 4 may be cleaned andotherwise subjected to surface treatment in final preparation forpainting. Such cleaning and surface preparation ordinarily comprises aseries of sprays of various reagents followed by spray rinsing and thendrying.

Waterproofed, waffled or felted paper sound insulation material isnormally waterproof or water repellent even though immersed in water fora considerable period of time. Nevertheless, in its free uncompressedstate, some cleaning reagent, particularly acid, may be absorbed in thespaces between the fibers thereof. However, since the sound insulationmaterial sheet 19 is compressed and maintained compressed between theinner and outer panel members 9 and 8, only the peripheral compressededge thereof is presented to the various sprayed solutions in thecleaning, treating and rinsing operations to which the drawer issubjected. Under such conditions, no liquid will be absorbed by thesound insulation material 19. All liquid drains from the interior of thedrawer head and a normal short drying operation completely dries allinner surfaces of the drawer head which have been exposed to the liquidcleaning reagents.

The drawer 4 may then be painted in the usual manner in accordance withproduction methods without difficulty.

Referring to the base cabinet door 5 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 13, theconstruction of the same is identical with that of the drawer head 6,except for the relative dimensions thereof and the location of thehandle 26 thereon.

Similarly, the structure of the wall cabinet door 27 illustrated inFigs. 12 and 14 is identical to the structure of the door 5 and thedrawer head 6, except for relative dimensions and the location of thehandle 28.

The presence of the drawn recessed panel portion 15, occupying a majorportion of the width and height of the improved drawer head structureand maintained in pressure abutting relation adjacent the outer panelWall 11 when the members 8 and 9 are permanently assembled together attheir flanges, provides an extremely stiff and strong drawer head ordoor construction, even though the members 8 and 9 are made of lightgauge sheet steel, and without the use of bolts, rivets or throughwelding.

Thus, the improved drawer heads and doors will not flex, warp, weave,twist, spring or bow convexly or concavely in use. Essentially, the edgewalls of the drawer heads or doors are formed of two thicknesses ofmetal. The panel wall likewise is comprised of two thicknesses of metalwith sound insulation material compressed therebetween, therebyeliminating the difficulties involved in a construction having spacedsingle thickness panel Walls which are drum-like in character.Furthermore, as indicated at 29 in Fig. 11, the portion of the innerpanel wall 14 around the recessed panel portion 15 forms with the edgewall flanges 12 and 16 and outer panel wall 11 a trapezoidally shaped,rectangular, hollow, channel or cavity at the outer periphery of thestructure, between the inner and outer panel walls surrounding therecessed 6 panel portion 15, which increases the stiffness and rigidityof the structure.

Furthermore, the sound insulation material 19 held compressed betweenthe pressure abutted panel walls, efiiciently deadens the sound producedwhen the panel wall is struck; so that a dull, soft, thud-like noise isheard rather than the high pitched metallic noise which results whenprior art structures are struck.

The compression of the sound insulation material is obtained byproportioning the dimensions of the. flanges 12 and 16 of the outer andinner panel members 8 and 9 such that when assembled in the absence of asound insulation material sheet 19, the inner surface of the recessedpanel portion 15 of the inner panel member 9 will lie closely adjacentand parallel to the inner surface of the panel portion 11 of the outerpanel member 8 with only a slight clearance space therebetween of lesswidth than the uncompressed thickness of the sound insulation materialsheet '19.

Accordingly, the present improvements provide a light gauge sheet metaldrawer head or door structure which may be readily fabricated inaccordance with production methods at minimum cost to provide a stiff,strong, sound insualted, box-like, double panel, structure composed ofonly three members, namely, an inner sheet metal panel member, an outersheet metal panel member rigidly secured to the inner member, and arectangular sheet of sound insulation material compressed therebetween.Thus, the improved construction avoids the described diflicultiesheretofore present in prior art constructions.

Although the present improvements have been described in detail withrespect to the drawers and doors of kitchen, base and wall cabinets, theimproved construction is equally applicable to the fabrication of metaldesk drawers and doors, and to the manufacture of metal undersinkcabinets and other types of metal equipment and furniture.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness and understanding; but no limitations are to be impliedtherefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such wordsare used for descriptive purposes herein and not for the purpose oflimitation and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved structures illustrated anddescribed are by way of example and the scope of the present inventionis not limited to the exact details of construction of the variousparts.

Thus, sheet metal drawer heads and sheet metal doors have been describedand illustrated in detail herein, and the improved structure ishereinafter generically termed sheet metal drawer head construction,such term including drawer heads, doors, and the like.

Having now described the features of the invention, themanufacture andassembly of preferred embodiments of improved sheet metal drawer headconstructions, the preferred steps of making the same, and theadvantageous new and useful results attained thereby; the new and usefuldevices, constructions, arrangements, combinations, subcombmations,parts, elements, methods, steps, operations and procedures, andreasonable mechanical equivalents thereof, obvious to those skilled inthe art, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making a rigid, sound insulated, box-hire, doublepanel, light gauge sheet metal drawer head including the steps offorming a sheet metal outer panel member with a continuous integralflange around the four edges thereof, forming a sheet metal inner panelmember with a continuous integral flange around the four edges thereof,drawing a recessed panel portion in the flanged inner panel member,cementing a sheet of compressible, waterproofed, wafiied paper soundinsulation material to the entire inner area of said recessed panelportion, telescoping the continuous integral flanges of saio panelmembers together, pressing the outer panel member toward the recessedpanel portion of the inner panel member to compress the sound insulationsheet tnerebetween, rigidly securing the telescoped flanges of saidpanel members together while maintaining pressure on the outer panelmember toward the recessed panel portion of the inner panel member withsaid sound insulation material sheet being permanently compressedandfixed therebetween, subjecting said drawer head to liquid surfacepreparation reagents and drying the same, and then painting the drawerhead; whereby the permanent compression of the sound insulation materialheld between the inner and outer panel members prevents liquid cleaningreagents from being absorbed by the sound insulation material andprovides a stilt, rigid, sound insulated drawer head formed of lightgauge sheet metal.

2. The method of making a rigid, sound insulated, hollow, light gaugesheet metal drawer head including the steps of forming inner and outerrectangular sheet metal panel member walls, drawing a rectangularrecessed panel portion outwardly in the major portion of the width andheight of said inner panel member wall, positioning a sheet of soundinsulation material on said recessed panel portion between said innerand outer panel walls, pressing the recessed panel portion and saidouter panel member wall toward each other with said sheet therebetween,rigidly securing said panel member Walls together while maintaining saidrecessed panel portion and said outer panel member wall pressed towardeach other to hold said sound insulation material sheet under permanentcompression therebetween with the remainder of the inner panel memberwall around said recessed *8 portion spaced from the outer panel wall,thereby forming a hollow cavity between the inner and outer panel wallssurrounding said recessed portion and the outer edge of said compressedsheet; spray cleaning and surface treating the surfaces of the assembledstructure with liquid reagents in preparation for painting; draining theliquid reagents from the surfaces of the assembled structure; drying theassembled structure; and then paint ing the assembled, cleanedstructure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,898,417 Woehler Feb. 21, 1933 2,253,384 Lown et al Aug. 19,1941 2,359,088 Croft Sept. 26, 1944 2,484,310 Phillipp Oct. 11, 19492,556,099 Myer June5, 1951

